2K And NBA Agree To Huge New Deal Estimated At More Than $1 Billion

2K Sports and the NBA have announced a major extension on their licensing deal for the NBA 2K series in a move that’s said to be worth north of $1 billion.

The official line is that this is a “significant, multiyear global partnership extension.” Terms were not disclosed, but The Wall Street Journal reports that Take-Two, which owns 2K, is set to pay as much as $1.1 billion over seven years to the NBA and its players’ union. That information is credited to a source who is said to have knowledge of the deal.

According to the report, the $1.1 billion over seven years is “more than double” what Take-Two paid the NBA for its previous licensing deal that was announced in 2011. The figure is said to be based on a percentage of sales of NBA 2K games.

One of the reasons why the licensing fee might be so much bigger this time around is because the NBA 2K series is believed to be an even bigger revenue juggernaut now that the franchise includes microtransactions. This has been a company-wide push, as Take-Two has said it aims to put microtransactions in all of its franchises going forward. NBA 2K’s use of microtransactions, which started in 2013, has been controversial, but they are still in the game and will no doubt continue to be used in future titles.

The latest NBA 2K game, NBA 2K19, was a smash hit. It sold more than 10 million units, and it drove even more money from its microtransactions. In total the NBA 2K series has shipped more than 86 million units since it first launch 20 years ago.

Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick said he’s excited to work together with the NBA to “find new and innovative ways to captivate and engage basketball fans, and expand further the success of the NBA 2K brand.”

The NBA also has a licensing deal with Electronic Arts for the NBA Live series. However, it’s not immediately clear if the NBA has reached a new deal with EA as well.

In addition to the NBA 2K series, 2K Sports published last year’s NBA Playgrounds 2, which is an arcade-style title.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr Expansion Announced

The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr, the MMO’s next major expansion, will be released on June 4, ZeniMax Online Studios announced today.

Elsweyr, which will be “similar in size and scope to last year’s Summerset zone,” features a thirty-hour, “year-long” main story told over four quarterly releases, beginning with the Wrathstone DLC in February. The story will see players side with the Khajiit as they defend their homeland from both invading Imperials and dangerous dragons.

Dragons are being added to The Elder Scrolls Online for the first time in Elsweyr and will be more difficult to defeat than the ones players may have encountered in Skyrim, according to Creative Director Rich Lambert.

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Spider-Man Theory: Is Mysterio Basically the New Syndrome?

The first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home dropped today, giving fans their first look at Peter Parker’s Eurotrip and Jake Gyllenhaal’s spellbinding take on one of Spidey’s classic villains, Mysterio.

But what we saw of Mysterio in the trailer, in his first live-action portrayal, seemed far from the maniacal machinations we’ve come to expect from the self-aggrandized “Master of Illusion.” By the end of the reel, Peter’s classmates were in awe of Mysterio, calling him “Iron Man and Thor rolled into one” as they watched footage of him battling a giant water monster in Venice.

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Jumanji Sequel Adds A Veteran Big-Name Actor

The untitled Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle sequel has added yet another big name to its cast. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lethal Weapon actor Danny Glover will appear in the movie, joining other newcomers like Danny DeVito and Awkwafina. All of the major stars of the first movie–The Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas–are also expected to return for the sequel.

“From Awkafina to Danny DeVito to now one of my action heroes, Danny Glover–it’s been awesome having so many actors and OG legends raise their hands wanting to come and play in our Jumanji universe,” The Rock told THR.

In the 2017 film, Jumanji is a video game that teenagers in detention get sucked into. They then become new people in a jungle world, and it appears the sequel will do this all over again. For now, The Rock isn’t giving away the details on who becomes who just yet.

“‘Who turns into who?’ will always be the fun magic sauce for our audience,” he said.

Welcome to the Jungle was an enormous success, banking more than $962 million on its way to becoming the 43rd biggest movie in the history of film. Jake Kasdan, the son of legendary Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan, directed the 2017 film and he’s coming back for the sequel.

The Jumanji franchise is based on the Chris Van Allsburg book, and it was first made into a movie in 1995 with Robin Williams in the lead role.

Plot details are under wraps for the Jumanji sequel, but The Rock teased that Kasdan gave a “dynamite pitch” for the plot. The film hits theatres in December 2019.

The Flash Drops a Batman Easter Egg in Midseason Return

Warning: Full spoilers for The Flash, Season 5, episode 10, “The Flash & the Furious” follow.

The Flash’s recent 100th episode may have been somewhat underwhelming, but it did at least lay the groundwork for a much more compelling story direction in the remainder of Season 5. Unfortunately, that episode’s refusal to wrap up the Cicada storyline right then and there also made it clear the writers aren’t in any hurry to take full advantage of Eobard Thawne’s return. First we have to slog through more “meta of the week” episodes before getting to the good stuff.

The best that can be said for the return of Joslyn Jackam/Weather Witch is that there was an earnest attempt made to bring depth and nuance to a very underdeveloped villain. The problem, though, is that the show pulled a complete 180. One episode Joslyn is trying to callously murder her father, the next she’s deeply remorseful and desperate for a second chance. Can you really blame Nora for wanting to throw her back in prison and be done with it? This episode counts on viewers have an emotional attachment to the character that hasn’t been earned. The whole “can villains ever be made to change?” angle still worked, just not as well as it might have.

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Ariana Grande Got a Huge Pokemon Tattoo

Ariana Grande got a Pokemon tattoo. The 25-year-old pop sensation revealed her very large Eevee tattoo recently through her Instagram story. Additionally, tattoo artist Kane Navasard showed off the tattoo in another post on Instagram, writing that the ink was for “the best Pokemon trainer in the game, [Ariana Grande].”

It’s a nice-looking tattoo. With colour it might have looked too flashy; the black-and-white style is more classic. You can see the tattoo in the image below.

Grande is a big fan of the Pokemon series, it seems, telling a fan that she played the Nintendo Switch game Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee for 15 hours during a recent day off. “Honestly,” she said. She also cosplayed as Eevee one at least one occasion.

This was not Grande’s first tattoo. She also has Chihiro from the Studio Ghibi movie Spirited Away on her arm, as well as the Harry Potter spell “Lumos” written on her hand. She has many, many more, and you can do a quick Google search to see them all.

Ariana Grande is no stranger to video games. She appeared in the Final Fantasy video game Brave Exvius, and now Katy Perry will be featured in the game as well.

Spider-Man: Far From Home Teaser Trailer Breakdown And Easter Eggs!

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Elder Scrolls Online Reveals Season Of The Dragon, New Annual Event Showcasing Elsweyr

Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, The Elder Scrolls Online has steadily grown into an experience that many fans of Bethesda’s RPG franchise wanted back when it debuted back in 2014. As an open world MMO, players can freely explore the many regions of Tamriel embarking quests, exploring dungeons, and acquiring rare loot. With the releases of previous expansions set in familiar areas, including Morrowind and Summerset, the scale and content of the online world has steadily seen improvement. During a livestream hosted by Twitch, the developers of ESO revealed the next major expansion set in the land of Elsweyr, along with an ambitious set of DLCs and updates releasing this year.

Set for launch on June 4, the Elsweyr expansion takes place in the homeland of the Khajit. Not only will new quests and events open up for veteran players in the region, but it will also be a new starting point for newcomers. As a part of their annual event for the Season of the Dragon, the developers plan to launch four unique DLCs throughout 2019. In the reveal trailer for Elsweyr, dragons have once again found their way to Tamriel, prompting the many adventurers in the land to face off against the new threat. In addition to being tied into the all new story quests, these dragons will also be a part of major world events.

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Prior to the reveal, GameSpot spoke with ESO creative director Rich Lambert about their plans for the game in 2019, and how the community has expanded in big way in recent years.

“Elsweyr been one of the most requested places from our fans; it’s the homeland of the Khajit,” said the creative director. “There’s bits and pieces of the land in other DLCs, such as Reaper’s March and Khenarthi’s Roost, but those are really on the outer edges of the province. So we’re really going into the heartland, showing what Khajit culture is, and how they’ve evolved over the ages.”

With the Season of the Dragon annual event, the developers plan to update many of the core pillars of the MMO with four key updates. Beginning in Q1 with Wrathstone, the first DLC will add in new dungeon content for experienced players. In the second DLC–releasing on June 4–the region of Elsweyr will open up for all players, focusing on new quests and storylines within the desert land of the Khajit. The final two DLCs releasing in the back half of 2019 will also place a heavy emphasis on on additional story and dungeon content as well.

The highlight of Season of the Dragon will no doubt be Elsweyr, which adds in a massive new zone to explore. However, there will also be numerous other updates and quality-of-life additions that will switch things up. The year-long event will also see a new class thrown into the mix, which is the Necromancer. Using their dark magic, they’ll be able to summon spirits and manipulate the dead to fight in battle. However, their dark arts will arouse all kinds of attention from NPCs throughout the land. Using the Necromancer’s abilities in towns will prompt citizens and guards to confront the player–similarly to when players used shouts in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. These interactions also tied into the game’s Justice system, which judges your character based on in-game choices.

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Furthermore, there will also be new world events. In addition to in-world battles against the massive dragons, some regions will also catch the attention of Daedric deities, who’ve become bored of the state of the world. In order to spice things up, they’ll introduce a little chaos by spawning powerful artifacts in the world. Those who can find them can wield the ancient weapons, transforming them into a demi-god. With drastically amplified stats and unique spells and skills, you’ll need to unleash carnage on other players, or else succumb to the artifact’s insatiable hunger for chaos.

The Elder Scrolls Online is in for a big year, and the new forms of content look to bring some interesting opportunities for players to explore more of the world. In the years since ESO’s debut, the developers spent a lot of time listening to what the fans wanted, which they they credit the game’s current success.

“We spent a lot of time reflecting on what the fans wanted, in trying to bring that Elder Scrolls feel into the game,” said Lambert. “That’s where One Tamriel came from, Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, and that’s where the Justice System came out as well. It really changed the feel of ESO, and players have enjoyed it since. The game has never been stronger, which is awesome.”

For more info on Elder Scrolls Online, including what’s to come with Elsweyr and the Season of the Dragon, be sure to check back with GameSpot.

Ghostbusters Sequel to Original Films Set to Release in 2020

A new Ghostbusters film is in the works and it will be a sequel to the original films that is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2020.

As reported by EW, Jason Reitman will direct and co-write the new film that will follow the events of the original films that were both directed by his father, Ivan Reitman.

“I’ve always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set,” Jason said. “I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans. This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”

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Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Zombies Gets Double XP and More for 115 Day

In celebration of 115 Day, Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Zombies players can get double XP and other bonuses for a limited time.

A blog post on the Treyarch website explains January 15 marks 115 Day and is a nod to the element 115, which plays a part in the deeper Call of Duty Zombies lore. For players, this means until January 18 you can earn double XP, double weapon XP, and double Nebulium Plasma across all platforms.

The Nebulium Plasma may be especially helpful for PS4 players, as three new epic craftable elixirs are being added this week. Perk Up will grant 4 new random perks, Refresh Mint resets cooldowns for your team, and Conflagration Liquidation gives you a bonfire sale power-up. There have also been some balancing changes to existing elixirs.

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